My spouse and I will be in Goa between December 31 and January 3. Looking for a place around Baga, Calungute area. What are the things to do in Goa -north or south? How to get around? What to avoid?
Any suggestins will be greatly appreciated. A Goan at heart I could not resist but write to u about what a traveler should look out for in this wonderful but small place. Goa is a very beautiful place. It has beaches and churches and lots of sun n sand that can be a lot of fun all round the year. The best time in the year to visit Goa is between October and March. Over the Christmas week Goa is at its best.
Besides playing on the superb beaches of Goa and enjoying the cool waters in the Sea, you can do a lot with your time in Goa.
Remember the basic difference between heat in other parts of the world and humidity in Goa is a bucket full of perspiration. The best way to tackle it is to drink a lot of liquids and stay cool.
Goa is not really a good place for shopping. Food too is a little expensive but incase you plan to have your eating habits localized, the food suddenly becomes reasonable.
Transportation is another huge hassle in case you do not have a vehicle. Hiring bikes is cheap and most sensible if you know to ride one. If you don鈥檛 know how to ride a bike, smart young pilots with bikes are available on most street corners. They are reasonable but do not forget to bargain. If you are in a group, then you should try and hire a car for a day long North/ South Goa tour.
If you plan to spend a day at a beach and do not want any one to be between you and nature, Paulolim to the extreme south or Arambol to the extreme North are the two options. A word of caution: there are no good eating joints here so carry your supplies.
The favorite location that now a days most youngsters prefer to stay at is Baga Beach in North Goa. Baga is nice, clean, and full of tourist all year round. The make shift shacks serve good food. What makes it the best place to stay is the hospitality doled out by the Goan鈥檚 in this area. Sweet and simple fisher folk ready to serve at a reasonable price.
My favorite places in Goa:
North Goa:
Fort Aguada: If you happen to stand at some of the right spots the view is better than the best places you have ever seen, Hook up with a local for these spots. Please don鈥檛 waste your time seeing the obvious. The fort and the light house is what most tourists try to capture on camera. Trust me if you happen to notice what I have seen from here you will be amazed at the foolishness of most tourist guides in not showing you those places.
Just remembered! There are these kids who earn their living by showing you things using binoculars, ask them to show you around. If you are lucky, u will see what I have seen.
The Flea Market at Anjuna Beach: Bargain, bargain n still bargain鈥? The final price will leave you satisfied. If some thing is quoted at 450, ask for it at 45. You might just get it at 50!
Calangute Beach: World famous鈥?just like Hyderabad鈥檚 biryani! Hope you do not have the same opinion about Calangute as I have about this biryani.
Candolim Beach: I don鈥檛 think you would visit this place coz it鈥檚 not on any tourist map. See they don鈥檛 think the need to disturb the King of Goa for measly tourist. You got it right that鈥檚 my village n guess my hotel has the world largest swimming pool鈥?the Arabian Sea. 鈥? Hahahah
Just kidding鈥?but yes the beach is beautiful n worth going in the evenings. If you plan to visit my place do tell me I don鈥檛 promise that you will be treated like a King鈥檚 guest coz I m not a king but I m sure u will be welcome.
Mapusa (pronounced as Mapsa): The whole of north Goa is predominantly occupied by fisher folk. Mapusa is their market. Nothing to see in the city but just incase u plan to buy stuff Friday is the market day. Lots of Beach ware can be purchased at through away prices.
Nice places to eat in north Goa are Tito鈥檚 in Baga, SozaLobo鈥檚 in Calangute, The Mango Tree and Bob鈥檚 inn in Candolim. Don鈥檛 forget to have an ice-cream at Hanuman Soda in Mapusa, don鈥檛 go by the name, the place is fun n most locals know where it is.
South Goa:
Panjim city: It has been developed like most well planned cities. It is the Capital of the real small state of Goa so most administrative offices are here. Not much to see here. You may find many of the buildings familiar if you are a regular with the films. Many Hindi films shoot songs in Goa.
Miramar Beach: It is a small beach and is actually a bank to the river Mandovi. Its claim to fame is that it is the poshest area in Goa. A nice restaurant for burgers and pizzas kind of stuff is the high light of this place鈥?I forget its name but its in the premises of the Goa Tourism Development Corporation)
Dona-Paula: Nice place to visit in the evening. Freak your self on the scooter boats. Great place to buy T shirts, shorts and real short skirts. It鈥檚 some place where I get my size鈥ahahahahah鈥?br>
Old Goa: The churches are famous for a lot of things including the relics of St. Francis Xavier. However I love to spend time in the chapel of the growing cross which is placed in the Se Cathedral. If you have a wish (a small one) and its not getting fulfilled, walk up to the cross, push ur fingers through the back of the wooden frame until u happen to touch the bark like fa莽ade of the real cross and 鈥?make a wish鈥?If done with faith in the heart, it comes true. It worked for me on more occasions than one. So try your luck too.
Kolva beach: It is another of Goa鈥檚 very beautiful beaches. The specialty here is 鈥榃hite Sand.鈥?Yes the sand is more silverish in colour and fine. Get a bag full of this sand back home to brush your teeth with. Pepsodent and Colgate pick up all the calcium from the same beach stretch. Not kidding but both have factories just round the corner on this beach. It is Goa鈥檚 longest beach.
Madgaon or Margaon city: It鈥檚 the unplanned city of Goa. Recent developments in trying to plan it out have taken both the bus stand and the Railway station out of the city. So now the locals keep complaining, 鈥榯hey have taken the city out of our city.鈥?There is nothing much to see in the city but some good places to eat.
Nice places to eat in South Goa Godino鈥檚 in Panjim city, Mum鈥檚 kitchen near Miramar, and Longinos鈥檚 in Margaon (don鈥檛 forget to eat the caramel custard here).
I am sorry to over load you with all the info 鈥?very passionate about my Bombay and My Goa u c鈥? Goa is very beautiful place you can relax on the beaches you can enjoy water sports etc and if you are looking for accommodation and pls visit this links and ask them .. www.holidayclubindia.net You have to eat out lots and go to the local tailors and have something made its really inexpensive. You should shop for jewelry and get your wife something made in gold to remember your trip. You should avoid the cow poo as cows are sacred and allowed to roam ANYWHERE! The people are lovely and helpful. The beaches are nice and the weather fantastic at the time you are going. General Tips
Restaurants
Off the Beaten Path
Shopping I have been living in Goa for the past two years.
Goa in December, especially over the Christmas/New Year period, is very crowded and busy. If you are going to stay in Calangute or Baga, you will barely be able to walk down the road, let alone drive. Even Aswem Beach, which is a 30 minute bike drive and nearly empty during the quieter months, will be packed. I leave for Europe during this time - experieng the madness once was fine, but I don't need to do it again.
If you are not accustomed to driving in India, this is neither the time nor the place in which to start! There are plenty of taxis and taxi bikes but it could take you quite a long time to go very short distances, simply because of the traffic.
From 1 Decmeber through the first week in January, prices in Goa double, triple and quadruple. The tourists are there en force and the locals know it! You will need to book in advance - as far in advance as you can - to make sure you get the type of room you want.
Calangute and Baga beaches are both jam-packed during the Christmas period, both on the sand and in the water. Both beaches are covered with sun beds all the way to the shoreline. The water is full of speed boats providing various tourist services. The drivers aren't particularly careful about looking for swimmers before taking off or returning. Take care when walking in the water, as a lot of partying goes on and many people get their feet badly cut by broken beer bottles.
Do not send your wife swimming on her own up North. She'll find herself surrounded by male Indian tourists who will grab whatever they can just for the fun of it, then deny all knowledge and say your wife must be crazy.
The food in Calangute/Baga is not great. It's designed for tourists, so it tends to be quite expensive (since foreigners are all rich) and not very good (since your'e going to leave soon anyhow). If you want a true Indian lunch experience, take the road from Calangute and head toward the highway. Stop at Rajan Tea Stall (right next to the motorbike repair shop). Get a salad bhaji or omelette with chicken gravy, but order a papaya or chickoo shake to cool your mouth down after. Two people can fill up for 拢1 (or $2)
If you want local cuisine, hire a taxi or rickshaw (usually 100 rupees from Calangute but definitely more in December) and go to Starlight. The range of seafood is large and the cooking is delicious. Ask the waiters for the daily specials. I highly recommend the crab sukha but you'll definitely get your hands dirty (there's a sink around the corner) and give your teeth a good workout. You'll need a fairly fireproof mouth to finish the whole plate. The prices are very cheap - one of the few places where they charge the same amount for tourists and locals.
Candolim is a good place to go if you're missing Western food. There are plenty of places to get Indian and Goan food there but the spices are toned down and the presentation toned up. Flambee is generally reliable and has excellent service. Expect to pay tourist prices, though.
Panaji, which is the capital city and in the South will also be very crowded, but can be a good day trip from Baga or Calangute. It will only take about 30 minutes to drive there (maybe more at that time of year) but it is the most cospmopolitan city in the state.
The Wednesday market at Anjuna and Saturday night market in Arpora will have interesting things to buy but the prices will be high and hard to bargain down at that time of year. These are both strictly tourist spots (although I love going there from time-to-time).
Mapusa has a huge, daily market that becomes even more huge every Friday. You can get just about anything there at more reasonable prices than at Anjuna, but you'll still need to bargain. A tourist is a tourist, no matter the market!
If you want a bit of peace and quiet, you will have to head south... all the way to Palolem. This beach used to be quiet and peaceful (it definitely has it's moments, still) but in December it will be jammed. The entire beach is lined with beach huts, restaurants, bars... There is even a night club that stays open for 24 hours (Cafe Del Mar). You can play pool, hire a kayak or sit in one of the thousands of beach chairs with waiter service at the beach side.
Most of the food along Palolem beach is designed for tourists - again at tourist prices. For proper Goan cuisine, try Dream Paradise. If you take the road away from the beach (there's only one way out) and keep going with it for about five minutes (on a bike or in a rickshaw) you will see a barn-like building on its own to the left of the road. It doesn't look like a dream paradise but the food, juices and shakes are outrageous. Try the Goan fish-curry-rice for lunch. You can order a fantastic crab masala in the afternoon if you promise to return for it that night. Prices are incredibly low - just a few 拢s or $s for two to feel fat on.
If you really want peace and are near Palolem, you can hire a rickshaw to take you to GalgiBaga. There is nothing on this beach except sun, sea and sand. It is almost completely undeveloped and will stay that way for some time, since it is protected for the sea turtle population (I have yet to see any turtles but I'll keep looking).
I can't think of anything else at the moment. Most things in Goa are shut down for the Monsoon, so I've brought myself to Europe to sit it out! there r many places to visit in goa. beaches r the most enjoyable things in goa. definitely visit CALANGUTE beach. it is known as the queen of beaches. river cruises r also very famous. i have been on 2 cruises-SANTA MONICA & PARADISE. but SANTA MONICA is far far better. churches and temples r a must to see in goa. u may also go to BIG FOOT which describes ancestral goa. for accomodation, i will recommend miramar residency in north goa if u want to stay near the city. but if u wanna live far from the city in the south then u can stay in Club mahindra varca beach resort. but remember it is a 5star hotel whereas Miramar residency is a budget hotel.
happy and safe journey Best advice I can give - Avoid Goa at that time of the year. It is crowded and gets insane. I prefer quieter Gokarna and Devbagh in Karnataka at that time of the year. Planning to visit Tarkali in Maharashtra this year water cruise in the evening
visit the light house and fort aguda and an ancient church which is very famous all over the world
water sports-banana ride,water scooter,bump ride
para-sailing on the beach
enjoy the seafood
beach party which starts after 11 and ends at around 2am
u can get nice motorbikes on hire 150-250/- so moving around is really no problem at all.baga and callangute are really nice-try getting a hotel near the beach.there are plenty of hotels and eating joints around these areas.
carry extra memory card with you as cafe owners sometimes create problem in transferring images from camera-they charge arbitrarily.
have a nice trip. |
